Armed Forces: Commemoration

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any British Foreign Secretary has visited the Baku British War memorial dedicated to British soldiers and sailors who died at the end of the First World War defending that city; and whether the Foreign Secretary will visit the memorial when next in Baku.

Lord Howell of Guildford: No serving Foreign Secretary has visited the Baku British War Memorial. HRH The Duke of York and Lord Jones, while Minister for Trade and Investment, visited the memorial in 2005 and 2008 respectively.
	Our ambassador in Baku attends Remembrance Sunday at the memorial every year and lays a wreath on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. If the Foreign Secretary visits Baku, consideration will be given to including a visit to the memorial in his itinerary.

Aviation: Passenger Duty

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current rate of the current air passenger tax for those arriving in Northern Ireland from the United States; and by how much it has increased since first imposed.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received over changes of the air passenger duty for those arriving in Northern Ireland from the United States, both for and against an increase in the duty.

Lord Sassoon: There is no air passenger duty (APD) liable for passengers arriving into the UK from other countries. APD is liable only for passengers departing from a UK airport.
	The APD consultation closed on 17 June 2011. We have received many representations from organisations in Northern Ireland regarding reform of APD. The Government will publish their response in the autumn.

Bahrain

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the Government of Bahrain about the arrest and alleged maltreatment of (a) Mr Mohamed Ghuloom Darwish, (b) Mr Ghazi Farhan, and (c) Ms Ayat al-Gormezi; and, if so, what was the outcome.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our ambassador has expressed concern about the case of Ghazi Farhan with Bahraini Ministers, in the context of his wife's British nationality. He has not specifically raised the other cases. However, we have raised our concerns about the reports of abuse in detention, lack of access to legal counsel, coerced confessions and that civilians were being tried before a military judge.
	Our embassy in Bahrain attended many of the trials to observe the proceedings. We continue to press the Government of Bahrain to ensure that due process is carefully and transparently followed. We have underlined that civil liberties should be protected, particularly where severe penalties are proposed. Anyone accused should have adequate time to prepare a defence, access to legal counsel and be tried before independent, impartial tribunals. We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain, at the highest level, to take forward their commitment to investigate the claims of abuse. In this context, we welcome the establishment on 30 June by the King, of an independent commission composed of international figures to look into the events of recent months and into allegations of human rights abuses.

Bank of England: Financial Policy Committee

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the proposed independent membership of the Bank of England Financial Policy Committee are non-resident or non-domiciled for tax purposes.

Lord Sassoon: It would not be appropriate for the Government to disclose private tax information relating to specific individuals.

Bank of England: Financial Policy Committee

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the independent members of the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) will have their own research budgets; whether they will be able to commission research by individuals or organizations outside the Bank of England; and what is the situation in this respect for the current members of the shadow FPC.

Lord Sassoon: The interim Financial Policy Committee is supported by Bank staff, who are available to undertake research requested by external members of the committee.

Banking

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 4 July (WA 2), whether the Project Merlin lending targets to which he refers are the "real" or "stretch targets" as described by the Minister of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Mark Prisk, on 22 June (Official Report, Commons, col. 334W).

Lord Sassoon: The Merlin commitment agreed with the banks that they would make available the appropriate capital and resources to support gross new lending of £190 billion to UK businesses. This includes new committed lending capacity of £76 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises. This goes beyond what the banks lent in 2010 and their initial assessment of what they would lend in 2011.

Banking: Afghanistan

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they, or any Government agencies, have deposits, accounts or credit balances with Kabul Bank of Afghanistan.

Lord Sassoon: HM Treasury guidance states that departments should obtain Treasury agreement before they or a public body which they sponsor open a commercial bank account. No department has asked for Treasury authority to open a commercial account at Kabul Bank of Afghanistan.

Banking: Northern Rock

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in any future sale or disposal of Northern Rock, they will impose as a condition that the Northern Rock Foundation should continue to receive long-term financial support from the bank at least to the level currently required.

Lord Sassoon: The Government appreciate the good work that the Northern Rock Foundation has been doing in the north-east and in Cumbria.
	Any purchaser would inherit the current obligation to fund 1 per cent of Northern Rock's pre-tax profits to the foundation through to the end of 2012 with the potential for a rolling one-year extension, by mutual consent.
	As the sale process has only recently been announced, it is too early to speculate on any outcome but it is expected that any bidder will think very carefully about the role of the foundation in the future.

Banking: Northern Rock

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 28 June (WA 412), whether they have a record of the total value of Northern Bank banknotes which were not returned in the 2005 recall, and the note issues; and what they mean by "declaration of notes by series".

Lord Sassoon: While the Government have records of the value of notes stolen, it does not keep records of the unreturned notes from the 2005 recall by Northern Bank.
	The Government's interest in commercially issued banknotes extends to ensuring that holders of those banknotes are adequately protected in the event of one of the issuing banks getting into difficulty.
	Reporting under Part 6 of the Banking Act 2009 requires commercial issuers to declare the total value of their notes in circulation for the purposes of noteholder protection. However, it does not require these figures to be broken down by design, by series or by year of issue, as that level of detail makes no material difference to the value of backing assets that must be held.

Businesses: Red Tape

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to cut red tape for small businesses.

Baroness Wilcox: This Government have set out a clear aim-to leave office having reduced the overall burden of regulation.
	The coalition agreement set out an ambitious agenda for dealing with the burden of red tape on businesses.
	In September, the Government introduced the One-in, One-out rule for new regulation so a new regulatory burden cannot be introduced without identifying another to be removed first. In December, we introduced a new approach to transposing EU directives, to end gold-plating and ensure they are not transposed in such a way that they disadvantage UK businesses relative to their EU competitors. In March we introduced sunset clauses in new regulations which impose a cost on businesses, to ensure they remain relevant and are fit for purpose.
	However, we recognise that badly designed regulation and red tape can have a particularly damaging effect on our smallest businesses.
	In The Plan for Growth, published alongside the Budget 2011, as part of a package of measures to improve the UK's regulatory environment, the Government announced that micro-businesses (those with fewer than 10 employees) and start-ups would be exempt from all new domestic regulation for three years. We also decided not to extend the right to request time to train to SMEs, potentially saving SMEs approximately £350 million and not to bring forward the dual discrimination provision, saving business up to £3 million per year.
	Last month, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister launched the Red Tape Challenge website (www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk), which asks the public and businesses to identify regulations that need to be amended or removed. Every few weeks regulations affecting one specific sector or industry will be published on the website. There is also the opportunity to comment on cross-cutting areas of regulation, such as employment law.

Consumer Markets Authority

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, under their proposals A competition regime for growth (March 2011), the super-complaints such as that submitted by Which? on card payment surcharges in March will be investigated by the proposed Consumer Markets Authority.

Baroness Wilcox: The Government launched a consultation on Institutional Changes for the Provision of Consumer Information, Advice, Education, Advocacy and Enforcement on 21 June 2011 which included proposals for the ways that super-complaints would be handled if the proposed Competition and Markets Authority is established.
	Most super-complaints highlight alleged structural market failings where further analysis is necessary and, as a result, the consultation proposes that they should be handled by the proposed new Competition and Markets Authority.
	It may be appropriate also to have a process by which designated consumer bodies could simply request enforcement action against a pattern of alleged breaches of consumer law. The consultation asks for views on the suggestion that the proposed Trading Standards Policy Board would receive such super-complaints.

Cornwall: Stannary Law

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 11 May (WA 213-4) concerning stannary law, what is meant by the use of "likely" in the statement that "it is likely that such customary law has been superseded by modern legislation".

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: It would be for a court to decide in the context of a particular case what account, if any, is to be taken of stannary customs. The Government's assessment of likelihood was based on the absence of recent reported cases concerning such customs. The Government have become aware of a very small number of applications to the county court in recent years concerning tin bounding, which is a very specific aspect of stannary law. The Government are unaware of any other recent cases where the court has upheld arguments derived from stannary customs.

Debt

Lord Whitty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (a) the total size, (b) the average time of maturity of loans, (c) the average rate of interest due on debt, (d) the schedule of tranches of repayment by year (or bands of years), (e) the equivalent percentage of gross domestic product, and (f) the equivalent percentage of public expenditure, for United Kingdom Government debt.

Lord Sassoon: (a) as at end-March 2011, public sector net debt, excluding the temporary effects of financial interventions (PSND ex), was £905.9 billion (source: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/psf0611.pdf);
	(b) the largest portion of PSND comprises gilts and Treasury bills, issued by the Debt Management Office (DMO). As at end-March 2011, the market value-weighted average maturity of the total stock of gilts and Treasury bills, excluding government holdings, was 13.51 years (source: http://www.dmo.gov.uk/documentview.aspx?docname=publications/quarterly/jan-marl1.pdf&page=Quarterly_Review);
	(c) as at end-March 2011, the market value-weighted average yield on outstanding conventional gilts was 3.11 per cent and 0.32 per cent on index-linked gilts (source: http://www.dmo.gov.uk/documentview.aspx? docname=publications/quarterly/jan-marl1.pdf&page=Quarterly_Review);
	(d) the profile of gilt redemptions is published on the DMO's website at: http://www.dmo.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=Gilts/Gilts_In_Issue;
	(e) as at end-March 2011, PSND ex accounted for 60.1 per cent of gross domestic product (source: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/psf0611.pdf); and
	(f) PSND ex (as at end-March 2011) accounted for 130.1 per cent of public sector total managed expenditure in 2010-11.

European Parliament

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what would be the annual saving of centralising all the facilities of the European Parliament in one city; whether any capital expenditure would be necessary; when they last made representations on this subject; and what was the result.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Estimates suggest that having two seats for the European Parliament currently costs the British taxpayer at least £28 million a year. However, the full cost to the EU budget of the European Parliament sessions in Strasbourg is not publicly available. This is not itemised separately in the European Parliament's budget. It is possible that some capital expenditure would be necessary were the European Parliament facilities to be centralised in one city, depending on the circumstances at the time.
	Ministers have made representations to ministerial counterparts in other EU member states, the European Commission and the European Parliament on the dual sitting of the European Parliament.
	The European Parliament itself voted on 9 March to hold 11 sessions per year in Strasbourg instead of 12 in both 2012 and 2013.

Food: Waste

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take in the forthcoming year to reduce food waste; and by what date they aim for zero food waste to go to landfill .

Lord Henley: The Government's review of waste policy in England, published in June, sets our direction to move towards a zero waste economy, in which resources are reused, recycled or recovered wherever possible, and only disposed of as a last resort. To reduce food waste in the forthcoming year, we will move towards fulfilling our commitments laid out in the review.
	The public sector will lead by example across its own estate. Government buying standards for the procurement of food and catering by government departments and their agencies are now ready to be implemented. We are also working with trade organisations and businesses to develop a responsibility deal in the hospitality sector, and will be continuing to make it easy for businesses and consumers to reduce food waste, notably through the Courtauld commitment.
	While we have not set a specific date to achieve zero food waste going to landfill, we believe that the measures set out in the waste review and the publication of the anaerobic digestion strategy and action plan highlight this as a foreseeable goal, while ensuring that waste collection services and the waste treatment infrastructure meet local needs.

Government Departments: Expenditure

Lord Cope of Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of central government procurement expenditure is spent with small and medium-sized enterprises.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the percentage of the total procurement expenditure of each government department which is spent with small and medium-sized enterprises.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Individual departments have published this information for 2009-10 in their updated business plans, which can be seen via the Cabinet Office website: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/department-business-plans-updated.
	We will provide a commentary on the overall picture as part of the SME progress report to be published on 19 July.

Government Departments: Research and Data

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Wilcox on 23 June (WA 365), what data collection does the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills undertake.

Baroness Wilcox: The information on data collections that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills undertakes will be placed in the Library of the House.

Government Departments: Research and Data

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data collection HM Revenue and Customs undertakes.

Lord Sassoon: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collects data, including personal and business data, that are required in order to achieve its business purpose i.e. the collection of taxes and distribution of benefits and credits.
	HMRC also collects data in relation to enforcement of UK tax law and for various administrative purposes.

Government Departments: Scientific Advisers

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the Departmental Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Transport; and (a) when they were appointed and for how long, (b) what is their academic or experience background, (c) what is their civil service rank, (d) whether their post is full-time or part-time, and what other work commitments they have, and (e) on how many occasions during the past year they have had meetings with the Secretary of State for Transport or the Minister to whom they have direct responsibility.

Earl Attlee: Following the Department for Transport's recent restructure we currently have a vacancy for a new Chief Scientific Adviser. We are working in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to run a recruitment campaign for a joint Chief Scientific Adviser in the next few weeks.
	The previous Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Brian Collins CBE FREng, left at the end of his term in office in May 2011. In the year to that date, he met with the Secretary of State and Ministers on four occasions.

Health: Orthopaedics

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about the inclusion of osteoporosis in the 2012-13 Quality and Outcomes Framework; and what action is being taken as a result.

Earl Howe: No direct representations have been made to the department about the inclusion of osteoporosis in the 2012-13 quality and outcomes framework. However, recommendations on the prioritisation of potential indicators for inclusion in the quality and outcomes framework are the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence which would consider such matters.

Healthcare: Costs

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 20 June (WA 248), when the unpaid claims for healthcare costs under European Union Regulation 883/2004 were submitted to Poland; for what dates and for how much; what consideration has been given to deducting such amounts owing from payments made to Poland; what estimate they make of the annual cost of unclaimed primary medical care for Polish nationals resident in the United Kingdom; and how many such nationals there are.

Earl Howe: In 2009-10, claims for pensioners and their dependents totalling around £29,000 were submitted by the United Kingdom to Poland. Payment was made by Poland in 2010-11.
	Full details of claims and payments made in 2010-11 will be available following the publication of the department's 2010-11 resource accounts in 2011.
	The department does not hold data on how many Polish nationals, ordinarily resident in the UK, are accessing healthcare in the UK.

Higher Education: Sciences

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the proposals in the Higher Education White Paper published on 28 June, what proposals they have to expand the number of students studying for their first degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Lord Henley: The higher education White Paper sets out plans to improve the information available to prospective students so they are able to make informed choices about what course to study. Degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are valued by employers and the key information set will include details on employment and salary outcomes. In addition, we have asked UCAS and higher education institutions to provide new data at course level showing the type and subjects of the qualifications held by previously successful applicants. This will help inform young people's GCSE and A-level choices and ensure that those who want to undertake a STEM degree, have the right qualifications to do so.
	The White Paper also sets out proposals to free up the current, restrictive approach to institution level student number controls, while ensuring the cost to the public purse remains affordable, allowing more students to attend the institution of their choice and institutions that can attract students to expand. We have asked HEFCE to consult, immediately, on how to implement these approaches and to monitor the impact of the approach and its effect on supply and demand. Crucially, we have asked HEFCE to ensure that, in freeing up student number controls, provision of, and support for, strategically important and vulnerable subjects is not disadvantaged.
	We know that science and engineering subjects cost more to teach and we want a system where anyone with the ability can access university and study these courses, without being put off by the cost. That is why we will continue to provide additional funding for these courses.

Higher Education: Sciences

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of United Kingdom domiciled students qualifying with a first degree in physics, chemistry, biology, engineering and mathematics in each of the years 2001 to 2010 from universities in England and Wales.

Lord Henley: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table below. The subject classification system as well as the way in which students were allocated to subject of study changed in the 2002-03 academic year. Therefore earlier figures are not comparable and have not been provided. Figures for the 2010-11 academic year will be available in January 2012.
	
		
			 UK Domiciled First Degree Qualifiers by Subject of Study English and Welsh Higher Education Institutions Academic Years 2002-03 to 2009-10 
			 Academic Year Physics Chemistry Biology Engineering (1) MathematicalSciences (2) Total 
			 2002-03 1,855 2,390 3,605 10,575 4,140 22,565 
			 2003-04 1,775 2,265 3,710 10,865 4,345 22,965 
			 2004-05 1,905 2,240 3,805 10,400 4,040 22,390 
			 2005-06 1,980 2,055 3.695 10,020 4,120 21,865 
			 2006-07 1,870 2,105 3.880 9,925 4,250 22,030 
			 2007-08 1,825 2,220 3,900 10,040 4,290 22,270 
			 2008-09 1.990 2,285 3,735 10,215 4,440 22,660 
			 2009-10 2,070 2,395 3,840 10,425 4,740 23,470 
		
	
	Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
	Notes: Figures are based on a HESA qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Due to rounding rows may not sum to totals.
	(1) The subject group of Engineering covers the following types of engineering: General, Civil, Mechanical, Aerospace, Naval Architecture, Electronic & Electrical, Production & Manufacturing, Chemical, Process & Energy, Other.
	(2) The subject group of Mathematical Sciences covers the following: Mathematics, Operational Research and Statistics.

Homelessness

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are estimated to have been made homeless in each district of Greater Manchester as a result of the total cap on benefits.

Lord Freud: We expect to introduce the benefit cap in 2013. It will mean that people on benefit will face choices about housing costs similar to those faced by people in work. But it will not necessarily mean that they will need to move from their home. Even within the limits of this cap, households will still be able to receive significant amounts of financial assistance from state welfare payments and if a member of the household moves into work and becomes eligible for working tax credit they will be exempt from the impacts of the cap.
	There is a range of help local authorities can offer to households at risk of becoming homeless including the provision of discretionary housing payments. We have already made an additional £190 million available over the spending review period for this purpose as a result of the changes we have made to housing benefit.
	The Government published their impact assessment of the benefit cap in February alongside the introduction of the Welfare Reform Bill. This made clear that it is not possible to estimate the number of additional homelessness applications that might arise as a consequence of the overall benefit cap because this would have to be based on behavioural changes. The impact assessment can be found via the following link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/household-benefit-cap-wr2011-ia.pdf.

Housing

Lord Whitty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the numbers of new housing completions in each of the next three financial years in England as a result of the new homes bonus.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have an overall target figure for the number of new house completions in England over the next ten years, following the abolition of regional allocations.

Baroness Hanham: The Government do not provide estimates of future new build numbers, as forecasting is imprecise and could affect market sentiment. However, there are various private sector organisations which can, and do, use our statistics to make their own forecasts. Ultimately, the number of new homes that are built will depend upon market conditions and decisions that are taken at the local level.
	The Government have replaced top-down targets with fiscal incentives for local authorities to develop housing. The new homes bonus impact assessment, published with the consultation document at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/newhomesbonusconsult illustrates the potential effect of local authorities' response to the incentives.
	Annual housing starts reached 106,590 in the 12 months to March 2011, up by 22 per cent compared with the 12 months to March 2010, and up by 32 per cent compared with the 12 months to March 2009.

Housing

Lord Whitty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of new households that will be formed over the next five years.

Baroness Hanham: Statistics on the projected number of households in England between 2008 and 2033, based on the 2008-based population projections published by the Office for National Statistics, are published on the DCLG website at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/2033household1110.

India and Pakistan

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will raise with the Commonwealth Secretariat ways of achieving détente between India and Pakistan and of increasing their mutual trade.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We welcome the renewed engagement between India and Pakistan following the meeting between Prime Ministers Singh and Gilani on 30 March. India and Pakistan are working to build confidence in a number of areas including bilateral trade. But the scope and pace of their dialogue is for India and Pakistan to agree. We believe that third parties should neither mediate nor proscribe solutions. It is important that India and Pakistan are given space to pursue a promising series of contacts on all aspects of the relationship.
	We are working with Pakistan, India and other member states to reinvigorate the Commonwealth. Members of this unique organisation share principles of democracy, rule of law and similar legal systems, which provide solid foundations to conduct business and have shown to bring trade advantages.

Indonesia

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported attacks by Islamists on (a) Christian churches in Java, and (b) on members of the Ahmadiyah sect, in Indonesia.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Indonesia has made much progress in protecting human rights over the past 13 years. However, despite progress on a broad range of human rights issues, we are concerned about a rise in the number of violent incidents targeted against religious minorities in 2011. We continue to stress to the Government of Indonesia that if there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, it should be investigated and any perpetrators brought to justice. We regularly raise freedom of religion issues with the Government of Indonesia and keep in close contact with representatives of the religious minority groups most affected to discuss their concerns.

Iraq

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the numbers of Christians in Iraq in (a) 2002, and (b) 2010.

Lord Howell of Guildford: It is difficult to provide accurate population figures for Iraq. The last credible census held in Iraq was in 1987. However, we have seen reports which indicate that in 2002 there were between 800,000 and 1,000,000 Christians living in Iraq. By 2010, the numbers were estimated at 400,000. We assess that a large percentage of these numbers have fled to neighbouring states, most notably Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. However, again, it is difficult to provide accurate refugee figures for the region.

Iraq

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of Christians in Iraq.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Christian community in Iraq was targeted in terrorist incidents towards the end of 2010 and early 2011. In recent months we have seen fewer incidents targeting Christians specifically. The Government of Iraq have pledged to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all their citizens and to provide adequate protection for their minority groups. The Iraqi Interior Ministry has drawn up a comprehensive plan for protecting churches and Christian areas in Baghdad and other governorates. Furthermore the president of Iraq announced the formation of a committee of Christian affairs to look at conditions for Christians in Iraq. We consider these to be positive steps.

Iraq: Camp Ashraf

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of an imminent attack by Iraqi government forces on Camp Ashraf; whether they have raised this matter with American Command in the area; and what reassurances they have sought from the Government ofIraq.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We remain concerned about the situation at Camp Ashraf, particularly in light of events on 8 April and statements made by the Government of Iraq that they will close the camp by the end of 2011. We have urged the Government of Iraq to refrain from violence and to work with the camp leadership to find a peaceful solution to the issue. We will continue to do this.
	US officials in Iraq are fully aware of the situation at Camp Ashraf. We remain in close contact with them and other international partners.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will seek access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to (a) Corporal G Shalit and any other detainees in Gaza, and (b) Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We regularly hold discussions through our embassy in Tel Aviv about the release of Gilad Shalit with other EU and UN partners. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my honourable friend Alistair Burt, met with Gilad Shalit's father during his recent visit to the region. We continue to call for Hamas to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally. We consider it unacceptable that the International Committee of the Red Cross is denied access to him. It is unacceptable that he has been held for five years without any Red Cross access.
	On the fifth anniversary of his capture the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) released a statement and Alistair Burt released a video message calling for Shalit's immediate and unconditional release.
	The UK consistently raises our concern where appropriate about human rights abuses carried out by Israelis including the Israeli defence forces. These include concerns about the use of legislation and detention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in particular concerning children. Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, raised these with the Israeli Minister of Justice recently when he visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We consistently raise the importance of Israel adhering to all of its international obligations.

Israel and Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Israel's use of administrative detention, including that of children; and what representations they have made to the Government ofIsrael regarding the indefinite detention of 250 Palestinian citizens.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK is concerned about the number of children currently being held in Israeli prisons. We raise our concerns with the Israeli Government about the application of due process and the treatment of Palestinian detainees, including where children are involved, on a frequent basis. Most recently, our ambassador in Tel Aviv has raised the issue of Israel's treatment of Palestinian children with Education Minister Saar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's Principal Legal Advisor Daniel Taub. My honourable friend Alistair Burt raised this during his recent visit to the region.
	The noble Baroness may be interested to hear that alongside our existing projects, our consulate-general in Jerusalem has recently secured funding to fund the UK Bar Committee for Human Rights to come to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in September 2011 to research a report about the treatment of children arrested and detained in the Israeli military court system.
	We will continue to monitor the situation with regard to all Palestinian prisoners, including parliamentarians, in Israeli prisons. We call on the Israeli Government to take immediate action to ensure that all cases are reviewed by a court in accordance with fair procedures, and that detainees' rights are upheld, particularly with regards to fair trial and family visits. All Palestinian prisoners should have access to a fair trial, and Israel should ensure that it acts always in accordance with international law. We shall continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities and issue statements when appropriate.

Middle East

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to Governments in the Middle East about prejudice and discrimination against Christians in the Middle East.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are greatly concerned about those who are denied the right to freedom of religion or belief. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief, wherever they occur or whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned. We, together with international partners, regularly make clear to Governments across the region the importance we place on promoting cultural and religious tolerance and on eliminating all legal provisions and policies which discriminate against different religious communities. We will continue to make these representations.

Monetary Policy Committee

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Sassoon on 6 April (Official Report, col. 252), whether, in setting the inflation target for the Monetary Policy Committee, they will in future exclude factors which the Monetary Policy Committee feels it has no capacity to influence.

Lord Sassoon: The Chancellor confirmed at Budget 2011 that price stability shall be defined as 2 per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the consumer prices index.

National Insurance

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what they estimate to be the total annual national insurance contributions not charged to seconded workers on intra-company transfers and their employers because of the 52-week exemption in regulation 145 of the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001; and how many such employees obtained visas for admission to the United Kingdom last year.

Lord Sassoon: I refer the noble Lord to the Answers I gave him on 16 November 2010 (col. WA 196) and 2 December 2010 (col. WA 484), which explain why non-European Economic Area workers are allowed a 52-week exclusion from national insurance contributions.
	Workers from countries outside the European Economic Area, with which the UK has no bilateral agreements, may benefit from a 52-week exclusion from national insurance contributions, by virtue of Regulation 145(2) or (3) of the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001, provided they meet the statutory conditions. The current exclusion is designed to keep temporary visiting workers, students and apprentices out of the UK social security scheme.
	Information on the amount of national insurance contributions (NICs) foregone due to this exemption is not available. An estimate of the number of such workers is also not available. It would add unnecessarily to the burdens on businesses and be inconsistent with the current approach to other exemptions and disregards that apply to NICs, to require employers to send information to HM Revenue and Customs about this exemption.

National Insurance

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many national insurance numbers there are.

Lord Freud: The latest available figures (Feb 2011) shows a total of 83.36 million national insurance number (NINo) records on the department's Customer Information System (CIS). This includes NINos of people known to be living abroad and 19.63 million NINos relating to deceased persons.
	Once a NINo is allocated it needs to remain on the department's computer system. This is because the NINo provides a permanent numerical link between the individual and their national insurance contribution record, which determines entitlement to contributory benefits and state pension. In respect of deceased individuals, a partner may make a claim for a contributory benefit, which is dependent on the contribution record of the deceased.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact and value of the British Council's English Language programme in North Korea; and what steps they will take to prevent the programme from being scaled down or ended as a result of expenditure cuts.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The British Council's English language training programme in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has had a very positive impact on the levels of English proficiency in the country and attitudes towards the United Kingdom. The programme-which supports teaching, teacher training and development, and curriculum development-has now been running in three universities over the past 10 years. Rather than scaling down activity, there are plans to expand the programme to three further universities during 2011. In addition, a letter of understanding outlining the programme's objectives for the next three years was signed with the DPRK Commission of Education in June 2011.

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the Olympic tickets allocated to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are allocated to the Department's Olympic committee; and how many are allocated for use by Department for Culture, Media and Sport officials.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: There is no departmental Olympic committee.
	Around 300 tickets have been allocated to Department for Culture, Media and Sport/Government Olympic executive officials. These will be paid for by the staff members.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made about the death sentence for apostasy imposed on Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani by the Iranian Supreme Court.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of reports that Pastor Nadarkhani's sentence to death for apostasy has been annulled by the Supreme Court of Iran and the case has been returned to the district court. If true, this is a positive development in Pastor Nadarkhani's case, though we maintain our belief that Pastor Nadarkhani has no case to answer for and call for his release. We have spoken to the Iranian authorities in Tehran, and the Iranian embassy in London to seek clarification of Pastor Nadarkhani's status, and look forward to receiving a response soon.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of employees who are members of workplace pension schemes in the public sector and private sector respectively; and what are the current requirements on membership of a pension scheme.

Lord Freud: In 2010, 36 per cent of private sector employees were members of workplace pension schemes. This represents 6.6 million employee jobs.
	In 2010, 84 per cent of public sector employees were members of workplace pension schemes. This represents 6.2 million employee jobs.
	The current requirements on membership of a pension scheme are that an employer with five or more employees has to provide access to a pension for their employees. There is no requirement however for an employee to be a member of a pension scheme.
	From 2012, new employer duties will start to be introduced. After the new requirements are fully in place a minimum of 8 per cent of qualifying earnings will be contributed to a pension unless an employee chooses to opt out. At least 3 per cent of that minimum is expected to be contributed by the employer.
	These changes are estimated to increase the proportion of employees making pension contributions with 5-8 million newly participating, or saving more, in workplace pensions.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of males and females who are members of workplace pension schemes in the public sector; what are the rules relating to such employees and pension scheme membership; and what is their assessment of the reasons for eligible staff not being members.

Lord Sassoon: HM Treasury is responsible for overall public service pensions policy but the relevant department leads on individual schemes, including access rules, membership and take-up.
	Scheme-specific breakdowns of membership by gender will vary from scheme to scheme but an overview, based on the annual survey of hours and earnings 2010, is that active membership of public service pension schemes is 33 per cent male and 67 per cent female.

People Trafficking

Lord Lea of Crondall: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the findings of the United States State Department report Trafficking in Persons that staff of embassies in London are being denied basic rights.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) condemns illegal activity by diplomats in the UK. Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, those entitled to immunity are expected to obey the law.
	The FCO treats any allegation of mistreatment of domestic workers in diplomatic households very seriously. The police investigate allegations that the law has been broken by persons entitled to immunity and report the results to the FCO. When an allegation is brought to our attention by the police, we liaise as necessary with the relevant diplomatic mission and the UK Border Agency to work for an appropriate response. In the case of an allegation of mistreatment requiring further investigation by the police, the FCO will request a waiver of the diplomat's immunity from the diplomatic mission concerned on behalf of the police. Failure to provide a waiver may result in a request to the mission for withdrawal of the diplomat. In 2010 there were two cases involving allegations of mistreatment of a domestic worker in a diplomatic household.
	In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 (VCDR) foreign diplomats accredited in the UK are entitled to employ domestic workers. Under Article 41 (1) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations it is the duty of all diplomats "to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state". This applies to the terms and conditions of employment for all domestic staff. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly reminds all foreign missions based in the UK of their obligations under the law, most recently in February 2011.
	While the United States State Department report does raise concerns about the issue of diplomatic domestic workers in the UK, it also acknowledges "the UK's continued work to vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking offenders". It notes the Government's funding to identify and protect victims and their sustained partnerships with civil society to improve its anti-trafficking efforts in 2010. The UK's freely available information allowed non-governmental organisations to make comprehensive assessments of the UK's anti-trafficking efforts.

Public Toilets

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether public lavatories designated for the disabled are for the exclusive use of disabled persons; if so, whether there is any guidance on the circumstances under which they may be used by non-disabled people; and whether RADAR keys are sufficiently widely distributed.

Lord Freud: Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers are required not to discriminate against, and to make reasonable adjustments for, disabled people. Where providing toilet facilities as part of its services to the public, the usage of accessible toilets is a matter for the service provider. No statutory guidance is available to govern the use of accessible toilets.
	Where service providers choose to keep their accessible toilets locked, they are encouraged to join the national key scheme, a voluntary scheme run by RADAR. However, RADAR does not advocate the general fitting of locks to all toilets for disabled people.

Re-export Controls

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent reports they have received of the operation of re-export control provisions in those countries that have enacted legislation.

Baroness Wilcox: Discussions with EU colleagues on export control policy are ongoing and take place formally within the Council Working Group on Conventional Arms, and informally between member states' officials involved in strategic export licensing. These discussions have served to confirm our understanding of established member state practices on re-export.

Republic of Ireland: Financial Support

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the loan of £7 billion to the Republic of Ireland as part of the December 2010 bailout agreement has been drawn down.

Lord Sassoon: The UK's bilateral loan to Ireland amounts to £3.227 billion. The loan cannot be drawn until after the approval of the third quarterly review of Ireland's Memorandum of Understanding with the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. The review is expected to take place in August 2011.

Saudi Arabia

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they protect the rights of British citizens working in Saudi Arabia.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our publication Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide sets out the help we aim to provide to British nationals who are in difficulty overseas. We provide this support in over 180 countries across the world, including Saudi Arabia.

Schools: Cooking and Growing Food

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of practical food experience in schools including cooking skills and food growing; and what plans they have to increase it.

Lord Hill of Oareford: Cooking is currently compulsory in primary schools at key stages 1 and 2. While the Government consider that practical cooking in schools is important, we do not plan to make any changes to the statutory national curriculum which would place new burdens on schools while the current review of the national curriculum is under way.
	There has been no recent assessment of the level of food growing in schools. While the Government support education outside the classroom, we consider that individual schools are in the best position to decide which activities are most relevant for their students.

Schools: Teachers

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was (a) the total, and (b) the ratio of men to women among primary school teachers in England and Wales for 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010, to the nearest 2,500.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The following table provides the number, ratio and percentage of men to women of qualified teachers in full-time regular teaching service in publicly funded primary schools in England and Wales in 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010.
	
		
			 Full-time regular qualified teachers in service in publicly funded nursery/primary schools1 by gender. 
			 Coverage England and Wales 2 
			 Years: March 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and November 2010 
			  1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20102 
			 Numbers   
			 Men 37,500 40,000 45,000 35,000 30,000: 25,000 
			 Women 107,500 122,500 152,500 145,000 152,500: 135,000 
			 Men and Women 142,500 162,500 197,500 177,500 180,000 160,000 
			 Ratio of men to women 0.34 0.34 0.30 0.24 0.20: 0.18 
			 Percentages   
			 Men 25.6 25.1 22.9 19.4 16.3: 15.5 
			 Women 74.4 74.9 77.1 80.6 83.71 84.5 
			 Men and Women 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0: 100.0 
		
	
	Source: Database of Teacher Records (1960 to 2000), and School Workforce Census, (2010).
	1. Figures are for local authority maintained schools for years 1960 to 2000. Also includes primary age range academies in 2010.
	2. 2010 figures exclude Wales.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 2,500

Taiwan

Lord Northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the proposal for signing the Economic Co-operation Agreement between the European Union and Taiwan.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We value the strong trade links we have with Taiwan and are keen to enhance them. The Government support active consideration of practical measures to strengthen trade between the EU and Taiwan.

Taxation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to put the recommendation of the Office of Tax Simplification to remove the tax relief allowed by Regulation 145(3) of the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 2001 into effect; and what is the annual net cost to the Government of this national insurance contribution exemption.

Lord Sassoon: The Government announced the removal of this relief at Budget 2011 and are currently consulting on the timing for this removal. A consultation document was issued in May 2011 and responses are due by the end of August 2011.
	Data on the net cost of the exemption are not available, although given Immigration Rules, the cost is unlikely to be significant. The consultation gives an opportunity for groups affected by this exemption to provide details of how they are impacted.

Turkey

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent decision by Turkey's High Election Board to bar from taking his Parliamentary seat Mr Hatip Dicle of the Peace and Democracy Party, and the subsequent Kurdish boycott of Parliament.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of the decision by the High Election Board and Turkish courts regarding Hatip Dicle's participation in the Turkish Parliament, and are following the situation surrounding boycotts of Parliament by opposition parties and politicians closely. It is not general UK Government practice to comment on individual judicial processes, but we expect high legal and judicial standards to be observed. The legal basis under which Turkish Members of Parliament serve is a matter for the relevant legislative authorities. We also encourage all political parties to participate in Turkey's democratic process, and ensure that the proposed new constitution enjoys the broadest possible consensus in Parliament and among Turkish citizens.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations the Ankara representatives of the European Commission, together with the ambassadors of the European Union states, have made to Turkish political parties about avoiding boycotts of the Grand National Assembly and starting the work of constitutional revision.

Lord Howell of Guildford: There have been no formal EU demarches or council conclusions on avoiding the boycott of the Grand National Assembly and the start of constitutional revision. The EU Commission continues to maintain dialogue with political parties including those that have undertaken a boycott. Our ambassador also met the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) on 28 June 2011 to discuss the boycott. We encourage all political parties to participate in Turkey's democratic process and ensure that the proposed new constitution enjoys the broadest possible consensus. However, the legal basis under which the Turkish Members of Parliament serve is a matter for the relevant legislative authorities.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 30 June (WA 482), who, other than the official delegation, met Ministers and Officials in the week commencing 13 June to discuss the new constitution for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Mr Floyd Seymour and Mr E Jay Saunders accompanied the People's Democratic Movement delegate, and Mr Royal Robinson and Mr Beryn Duncanson accompanied the delegate from the Progressive National Party.